Computerized applications have been developed for generating and providing driving directions in response to user requests. For example, a user may access a conventional driving direction application, identify a starting location and a destination location, and receive in return driving directions descriptive of a driving route between the locations.
Many traditional driving direction applications allow a user to print a set of generated driving directions for future reference. However, these applications do not provide a user with control over the information that is printed. For example, a user may find it undesirable to print certain driving steps included in driving directions, including steps instructing the user how to navigate a familiar route. Examples of unhelpful driving steps include steps that direct the user how to get from his or her residence to a nearby freeway onramp that is familiar to the user. Because of the limited printing features provided by conventional driving direction applications, the user will have to include all of the driving steps in a printout of the driving directions. Consequently, traditional driving direction applications typically lead users to print entire sets of directions, which unnecessarily wastes time, ink, and toner, clutters the printed output, and frustrates the user.
Some users have found a way to use a web browser feature to print only a selected section of driving directions. This feature, referred to as the “print selection” feature of a web browser, allows a user to select and print a section of text displayed in a web browser. With this feature, a user is able to highlight a section of text and select the “print selection” feature to print the selected section of text. Unfortunately, web browser print selection features have several disadvantages. For example, only a continuous section of text can be selected, meaning that only one group of consecutive driving steps can be printed together. Moreover, the layout of a web page may force a user to select and print unwanted graphics or advertisements along with desired text. Further still, some users may use web browsers that do not provide a “print selection” feature. Even for users of web browsers that do provide a “print selection” feature, a large portion of these users are not aware that such a feature is provided in web browsers. Thus, the “print selection” feature of a web browser does not provide flexible or satisfactory control over the printing of driving directions.
For at least these reasons, there is a need for systems and methods that provide users with additional control over the printing of driving directions.